The Dice — 035

In the last six weeks, I haven’t talked to a single person who isn’t drowning in stress from the relentless flood of bad news. Despite their best efforts, some of my friends are falling into the doom loop—consumed by current events and attention-whore pundits saying whatever it takes to keep them trapped. Don’t get me wrong, this country is in some deeply disturbing, uncharted waters right now. But the worst thing we can do is get so wrapped up in events beyond our control that we lose our ability to think clearly. We need to train ourselves to process information, stay focused, and take action where it actually matters.

Resilience and antifragility have been on my mind a lot since November. More and more it feels like a week’s worth of bad news has been compressed into a single day. Our attention and mental health are under attack—bombarded in a way humanity has never experienced before.

In response to current events, writers like Kottke have focused their efforts on exposing the darkness. I have a lot of respect for Jason’s work, but if I immerse myself in it 24/7, I’ll be a shell of a human by next month. Perhaps as a companion piece to Kottke and others, this issue is focused on strategy and tactics—ways to take in information without getting pulled under. I’ve got plenty more to share, so if you find this useful, let me know.

We’ll start with an amuse-bouche, then move on to methods for protecting our minds—drawing from the philosophies of Ikigai, Stoicism, Antifragility, Buddhism, and Ubuntu.

Let’s go.

Let's start with a wise perspective from a well-grounded person, Derek Sorano. He recently moved back to the US after living in the UK for seven years. Here’s a quote from his recent video subtitled, America Needs You.

“Having and protecting my peace of mind isn't about ignoring problems or pretending everything's fine and nothing's happening. It's about making choices that don't leave me stuck in negativity. It's about learning how to step back when anger shows up and not letting it take over. That doesn't mean I stop caring about what's going on in the world it just means I do not let it own me. When my mind is clear I respond instead of react and I can handle things with clarity instead of chaos because when my mind is clear I can focus and when I can focus I can see the bigger wider picture—the wider view and I can gain wisdom.”

Take six minutes and watch the entire video because Derek has more to say and it’s packed with plenty of awww dog moments.

It’s hard to accept that some things just are—like the fact that a digital coup is going on right now and our country is being led by someone who wears orange face. Especially when these things will impact you or people you know directly.

Neither you nor I can’t control the Giant Umpa Maga-Lumpa in the Whitehouse, but we can control our focus and attention.

The Control Test — The next time you feel frustration and anxiety creeping in (like every time you check your news app), pause, deep breathe, and ask: 

• Is this within my control?
• If yes, what’s my next step?
• If no, how do I adjust to move forward anyway?

This shift changes everything. Instead of being paralyzed by what’s out of your hands, you take ownership of what is. Less dread, more clarity. This is how you can avoid letting the news consume you and take over your brain.

Learn more: The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday.

How often do you wake up, check your phone, and immediately regret it? Yeah, I’m with you. I’m raising my hand too. The news, the emails, the doomscrolling—it’s like pouring jet fuel and Da Bomb hot sauce on our stress before we even get out of bed. And yet, we keep doing it! As if more information is going to make us feel less anxious. It never does! Anxiety feeds on inaction. The longer you sit there, the worse it gets.

The Five-Minute Rule — When your brain is spiraling, force yourself to get up and take one small action within five minutes

• Get out, touch grass, and go for a walk
• Pick a book and read a single chapter
• Clean the kitchen

Your brain learns through patterns. The more you interrupt the dread building freeze-response, the easier it gets. We can’t think our way into less stress—we have to act our way into it.

Learn more: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear.

Cucumbers are not natural predators of cats. But when you sneak up behind and cat and place the vegetable behind their line of sight the cat reacts with instant panic. It’s the flora and fauna version of dropping Mentos into Diet Coke. 

The cats are not scared of cucumbers. They’re reacting to something it didn’t see coming. That’s how stress works. When you’re too close to a problem, too caught up in the moment, everything feels urgent, dangerous, and overwhelming. But if you just take a step back and widen your perspective, and get a broader perspective—like Derrick suggests—things start making sense.

The Third-Person Perspective Shift — When you feel overwhelmed, try this:

• Imagine a friend is in your situation.
• What would you tell them to do?
• Measure your problem: Will this still matter in a week? A month? A year?

Our brains—our flight or flight instinct—want to zoom in on disaster. Stop and train it to zoom out. Clarity comes when you give yourself the space to see and gain a broader knowledge.

Learn more:  The Stoic Guide to a Happy Life: 53 Brief Lessons for Living by Massimo Pigliucci.

To check off my math requirement in college I foolishly took Applied Statistics. It's a rough subject and as we got into the semester the stress level in the class continued to rise. On test days the level of collective stress and tension was palpable—you could smell it—it was so off the charts. Stress is viral—it spreads through tone, body language, and silence. But calm is also viral. There’s a reason why elite soldiers train to regulate their breathing under pressure. Because control isn’tabout suppressing emotion—it’s about mastering your thoughts in the moment.

The 4-4-8 Breathing Method — Used by military operators and first responders to stay calm under pressure:

• Inhale deeply for four seconds.
• Hold your breath for four seconds.
• Exhale slowly for eight seconds.

Repeat the steps three to five times. It will lower your heart rate, re-center your mind, and signal “Yo, I’ve got this" to your nervous system. Regaining composure is the simplest way to regain your focus and attention.

Learn more: The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh.

America’s future won’t be decided by who wins today’s argument—it will be shaped by who keeps showing up when the moment has passed. Civil rights, democracy itself—these movements weren’t built on knee-jerk reactions or short-term wins. They were built by people who focused on progress, not just an immediate response. The loudest, orangest, and quite possibly the dumbest voice in the room might dominate the headlines, but history doesn’t belong to the loud—it belongs to those who commit to the long game.

The best moves aren’t made in a panic. They come from people who can detach from the shit-fire-hose of news and social platforms and instead focus on understanding, learning, and acting with clarity.

The Process Over Prize Shift — How to train for the long game.

• Refocus on the work. What’s one thing you can actually do?
• Think beyond the moment. Urgency isn’t the same as impact.
• Build systems, not reactions. Long-term change beats quick wins.
• Detach, don’t disengage. Protect your energy, but stay in the fight.
• Measure in years, not minutes. Real change will take time. Every minute the Doge bullshit exists will take a week to rebuild.

Dig in, train your mind, and keep your energy for the real fight—because the long game is the one that wins. Stay informed through channels you can trust like Kottke and 404 Media but don’t let it consume you.

Learn more: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth.

Published in Tacoma, Washington while eating cold pizza.